Normally, yes. But these teams don't make trades with each other, for whatever reason. Nothing personal, they say. Just hasn't worked. It has been 22 years since the Giants and A's made a major-league deal, so history suggests Coco Crisp or Chris Young won't be moving across the bay.

Anyway, Giants general manager Brian Sabean said he's not necessarily in the trade market heading into the four-day winter meetings starting Monday at the Gaylord Opryland Resort, and A's GM Billy Beane said he has no plan to move any of his four outfielders: Crisp, Young, Yoenis Céspedes or Josh Reddick.

Could that change? Absolutely. But for now, the teams have more pressing matters on their agendas.

The Giants are working on contingency plans in case Pagan and/or Scutaro sign elsewhere, certainly a possibility. When Sabean was asked if he's close to signing either player, he said, "We don't have a deal, so that tells you we're not close."

Pagan is sitting back as other center fielders receive huge contracts. B.J. Upton got $75 million over five years from the Braves, and now it's Michael Bourn's turn. Josh Hamilton could trump them all. So a four-year deal shouldn't be a problem for Pagan, and the Phillies appear to be on board.

Asked about outfield alternatives, Sabean said, "We're not in on any high-ticket items." The next free-agent tier includes Shane Victorino, Ichiro Suzuki, Nick Swisher and Ryan Ludwick, with Victorino the closest to Pagan in terms of age (Victorino is eight months older) and numbers.

Pagan had the superior year, but Victorino compares favorably over the past two seasons, posting a higher on-base percentage (.337-.331) and slugging percentage (.434-.410) with more homers (28-15), triples (23-19), runs (165-163) and walks (108-92) and three fewer steals (58-61).

The Giants have had conversations with John Boggs, the agent for Victorino, a cheaper alternative, though Pagan remains the preferred choice, based on his contributions to the Giants' world championship run.

Arbitration-eligible Hunter Pence will return to play right field, but the Giants aren't convinced Gregor Blanco is the everyday answer in left. They could add a right-handed bat to platoon with Blanco. Or, if Pagan leaves, move Blanco to center and add a left fielder, though they don't like the price tag for Ludwick. Ichiro wants only a one-year deal, and his agent, Tony Attanasio, told the New York Post that he's no longer leaning toward the Yankees.

At second base, Scutaro might be easier to sign than Pagan if only because he's 37 and probably won't get an over-the-top offer elsewhere. Just in case, the Giants already had talks with Ryan Theriot. The injury-prone Freddy Sanchez? The Giants have no plan to invite him to spring training, meaning he's joining Brian Wilson as two standouts from the 2010 championship season who are out the door.

The A's, like the Giants, mostly are set with pitching, even if Brandon McCarthy leaves as a free agent. The A's chose not to exercise Stephen Drew's $10 million option, and while he's weighing interest as the top shortstop on the market, the A's seek a replacement.

Scott Boras, Drew's agent, told The Chronicle he'll meet with Beane in Nashville and believes the team still has interest in re-signing Drew.

Of course, the A's could put a wrinkle in the Giants' plans by pursuing Scutaro to play short.

"We are still considering all options at shortstop, including our existing internal choices," assistant GM David Forst said. "And we continue to monitor the possibilities available through free agency and the trade market. Otherwise, our priority is just to look for upgrades wherever they might be possible."

A wild card is Hiroyuki Nakajima, who last season played for the Seibu Lions in Japan. Nakajima, 30, hit .312 the past five seasons and won back-to-back Gold Gloves. Last winter, he refused to join the Yankees, whose $2 million posting fee earned negotiating rights, after they offered no more than a utility role. This year, because he's a free agent, no posting fee is necessary.

Winter meetings

Officials from all 30 teams will be focusing on their 2013 rosters at the four-day winter meetings in Nashville, and they needn't go far to come across a horde of agents seeking top dollar for their clients. Here's a look at some of the available players:

FIVE FREE-AGENT TARGETS

Josh Hamilton: Exceptional ballplayer who looked lost late in the season in Oakland. A high-priced red flag. Wouldn't be surprising if he returned to Texas.

Zack Greinke: If there's a team willing to hand Matt Cain money to the best available pitcher, it's the Dodgers. Unless the Angels strike first.

Michael Bourn: The Nationals (home of many Scott Boras clients) were supposed to be a fit, but they traded for Denard Span. Bourn is not expected to sign anytime soon.